N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-291.3
The filing of a claim under this Article shall constitute consent by the plaintiff to the jurisdiction of the Industrial Commission to hear and determine any counterclaim of the maximum amount authorized for a claim in G.S. 143-299.2 or less that may be filed on behalf of a State department, institution or agency, or a county or city board of education. A final award of the Industrial Commission awarding damages on a counterclaim shall be filed with the clerk of the superior court of the county where the case was heard. These awards shall be docketed and shall be enforceable in the same manner as judgments of the General Court of Justice. Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 12 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, nothing in this section shall require the filing of a counterclaim.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-291.3